Monday Trends And Indexes

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U Got It Fellas...i'll Write It Up Now

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Hot streaks

A.J. Burnett (Toronto Blue Jays) - Burnett is 1-1 with a 6.97 in two starts against the Indians, but has looked like the ace the Jays wanted lately. After missing two months early in the season, Burnett has won his last four starts. Toronto is a -108 road favorite.

Ian Snell (Pittsburgh Pirates) - Snell has been the most consistent starter for Pittsburgh (50-81) this year, leading the team in victories. Pittsburgh has won seven of Snell`s last nine starts and is favored at -132 today.

Woody Williams (San Diego Padres) - Williams looks to win his fourth consecutive start for San Diego. The 40-year-old right-hander has lasted at least seven innings in his last three starts and has limited opponents to only six runs and 17 hits in the 21 2-3 innings. The Padres are +127 underdogs.

Cold streaks

Brandon Webb (Arizona Diamondbacks) - Webb has struggled in his last two outings, both on the road, giving up 10 runs and 12 hits in 11 innings. Webb yielded three runs and four hits in five innings Tuesday during a 7-6 loss to San Francisco. The Diamondbacks are still favored today at -135.

Brad Penny (Los Angeles Dodgers) - Penny has lost his last two starts, recording a 10.80 ERA against San Francisco and San Diego. He lasted just four innings in Wednesday`s 7-2 loss to the Padres before being ejected. The Dodgers are -136 home favorites.

Other notables

Paul Byrd (Cleveland Indians) - Byrd has yet to lose since the All-Star break, going 2-0 in eight starts. But he has a 5.70 ERA and opposing batters are hitting .358 against him in that span.

Kelvim Escobar (Los Angeles Angels) - Escobar has alternated wins and loses in his past four starts. He is coming off an eight-inning loss to Boston on Wednesday.

[djmauiboy]

LINE WATCH

Milwaukee at Florida – Marlins –110

There’s a soap opera slowly unfolding in South Florida.

No one knows if Joe Girardi will be managing the Marlins next season despite the fact that he’s captained a team with a $15 million payroll to within three games of an NL wild card spot heading into tonight’s action.

The intensity of the situation appears to be lost on the Marlins. They`ve won their last seven games heading into Josh Johnson`s start tonight.

The major league leader with a 2.90 ERA, Johnson has flown under the radar this season to go 11-6 and make 4.20 units.

San Diego at Arizona – Padres +127

Money was going to be on the Padres here even before word came out that Brandon Webb is grieving. He lost a close friend and former college teammate at Kentucky in a plane crash on Sunday.

More importantly, Webb is struggling. He has a 5.59 ERA in his last five starts and faces a San Diego team that’s been great on the road this season.

The Padres are actually better on the road (33-28) than they are at home (33-36), mostly because of their hitting. San Diego’s .345 OBP on the road is the fourth best in baseball and the best in the National League.

Angels at Seattle – Angels –101

Kelvim Escobar has quietly and efficiently gone about his business over the last two months.

The 30-year-old right-hander has seven quality starts in nine appearances since July 1. The only blips during that stretch were against the Yankees and the Red Sox.

Neither of those games were anything to hang his head about, either. Escobar allowed five runs in eight innings to Boston in his last start and five runs in six innings against New York two starts before that.

In between, he even shut down Seattle, holding the Mariners to just one run in seven innings while striking out seven and walking just one.

[djmauiboy]

TOTALS WATCH

Cincinnati at Los Angeles – under 9

With its playoff hopes dangling on a very thin string, Cincinnati can’t be happy to see the Los Angeles Dodgers on the schedule.

Los Angeles swept the Reds at the beginning of August in a three-game series in Cincinnati, allowing only seven runs and posting a team ERA of 2.33. The Reds hitting woes have continued throughout the month, losing three of four to the San Francisco Giants while pushing only two runs across in the final three meetings.

“They played a great series against us,” Reds manager Jerry Narron told reporters. “In the last three games we haven`t done a whole lot. We`ve been in this situation before and we`ll see what we`re made of the next six games on the road.”

Cincinnati is hitting only .248 on the road this year. The Reds will face Dodgers right-hander Brad Penny, who has looked impressive versus Cincinnati.

Penny has an ERA of 3.48 against the Reds, holding them to a .191 mark at the plate. In his last appearance against Cincinnati, he allowed only two runs on three hits in a 5-3 Dodgers win.

Chicago at Pittsburgh – under 9

Two of the worst run producing teams in the National League face off today at PNC Park. The Cubs and Pirates sit 15th and 16th in total runs this season.

Pittsburgh scored only five runs in the final three games of its series with the Houston Astros, dropping three of four heading into today’s game.

"It`s hard to say things are different when we`re not producing, when we have another losing season," third baseman Freddy Sanchez told reporters. "You can talk all you want but, until you prove it on the field, it`s the same old thing.”

Chicago will have its work cut out for it at the plate after traveling to the Steele City late last night after suffering a crushing loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday Night Baseball. The Cubs may skip their morning batting practice due to their travel woes.

Toronto at Cleveland – under 9 ½

The Toronto Blue Jays are starting to get their money’s worth out of A.J. Burnett.

Burnett, who has alternated wins and losses all year, has strung four wins together against some of the American League`s best teams. Burnett has allowed only nine runs during this streak, posting a 3.04 ERA.

“I know I had to battle and those ones feel better than the ones where you actually dominate," Burnett said of his recent success over top teams.

The right-handed flamethrower’s success has lead to three straight under plays in his last four games, he is 5-8 over/under on the season. He has not pitched against Cleveland since 2004.

[djmauiboy]

SHARP ANGLES FOR MONDAY

U.S. Open

Staying focused a problem for Agassi?
Andre Agassi (-350) versus Andrei Pavel

Andre Agassi admits he might not be as focused as he should be today when he begins the last tournament of his career before retirement.

“I`ve certainly struggled with this more than I expected to,” Agassi told Newsday about playing his last tournament before retirement. “It`s all a bit surreal. I`m out there trying to do a job, and at the same time I feel like I want to have dinner with everyone.”

Agassi has already been upset by a previously winless pro in Washington and had to skip events in Toronto and Cincinnati due to fatigue this summer.

MLB

Webb pitching with heavy heart
Padres at D-Backs (-135)

Brandon Webb will start for the D-Backs tonight, just one day after the death of a close friend and former college teammate.

Jon Hooker played with Webb at the University of Kentucky from 1998-2001, and remained close friends with Webb in the years following. Hooker was one of 49 people that died Sunday in a Kentucky plane crash.

The D-Backs asked Webb if he’d prefer to skip tonight’s start, but the staff ace chose instead to take to the mound and will leave for Kentucky after the game to attend the funeral.

Lee returns to Cubs
Cubs at Pirates (-135)

Derrek Lee returns to the Cubs lineup tonight for the first time in more than a month.

The slugging first baseman has been sidelined since July 24 with a wrist injury, the same injury that forced him to the DL from April 20 to June 24. Lee told reporters his wrist feels a lot better now than it did the first time he came off the disabled list, and insisted he’s not risking further injury by returning to the team.

“I feel like I`m not jeopardizing anything,” he told the Chicago Sun-Times.

A call to the tooth fairy
Tigers at Yankees (Aug. 29)

The Yankees are expected to be without outfielder Melky Cabrera when they host the Tigers on Tuesday.

Cabrera was a late scratch from the Yankees’ game against the Angels on Sunday because of tooth pain. Cabrera saw a dentist and was told he would require a root canal.

Cabrera undergoes the procedure today and may not be available for the next couple of games.

NFL

How much will Palmer play?
Green Bay at Cincinnati (-5 ½ -110)

Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis isn’t saying how much playing time Carson Palmer will get against Green Bay, but has indicated the quarterback won’t play as much as other Cincinnati starters, who are expected to play into the third quarter.

“As far as how much he`ll play, I`ll judge that during the game and go from there,” Lewis told reporters.

Palmer is still recovering from a major knee injury suffered in a playoff loss to the Steelers on Jan. 8. He still experiences swelling in his knee, and hasn’t been tackled yet during training camp.

[Spark]

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Monday, August 28th

National League:

Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh, 7:05 EST
Angel Guzman (R) vs. Ian Snell (R)
Guzman: Cubs 14-32 SU after losing 5 or 6 of their last 7 games
Snell: 14-7 TSR in night games

Milwaukee at Florida, 7:05 EST
Ben Sheets (R) vs. Josh Johnson (R)
Sheets: Milwaukee 12-26 SU as a road underdog of +150 or less
Johnson: Florida 10-2 SU at home off 3+ wins

San Diego at Arizona, 9:40 EST
Woody Williams (R) vs. Brandon Webb (R)
Williams: San Diego 16-6 Under in August
Webb: Arizona 6-18 SU after losing 4 of their last 5 games

Cincinnati at LA Dodgers, 10:10 EST
Chris Michalak (L) vs. Mark Hendrickson (L)
Michalak: Cincinnati 15-5 Over away off 3+ losses
Hendrickson: Dodgers 25-10 SU as a favorite of -125 to -175


American League:

Toronto at Cleveland, 7:05 EST
AJ Burnett (R) vs. Paul Byrd (R)
Burnett: 4-20 TSR away pitching on 5 or 6 days rest
Byrd: 11-0 TSR at home off BB starts with 1 or 0 walks

Boston at Oakland, 10:05 EST ESPN2
Kason Gabbard (L) vs. Esteban Loaiza (R)
Gabbard: Boston 8-18 SU in August
Loaiza: Oakland 18-6 SU in August

LA Angels at Seattle, 10:05 EST
Kelvim Escobar (R) vs. Felix Hernandez (R)
Escobar: Angels 17-6 Over off BB games scoring 7+ runs
Hernandez: Seattle 1-14 SU revenging 5+ losses


Write-In Game:

Philadelphia at NY Mets, 12:10 EST
Jamie Moyer (L) vs. John Maine (R)
Moyer: 1-13 TSR as a road underdog of +125 to +175
Maine: Mets 12-2 SU at home in August